1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of beverage containers. Specifically, the present invention relates to beverage containers which keep the beverage in a main chamber cold by transferring its heat to the ice in a separate chamber which is separated from the main chamber by a polymeric film pouch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
2a. Capsule Summary of the Present Invention For Comparison To The Prior Art PA1 2b. Discussion Of Prior Art Patents And Comparison To The Present Invention
The present invention is a liquid beverage container which has two chambers. There is a chamber for the liquid beverage, and there is another chamber which holds ice. The ice chamber is separated from the beverage chamber by a thin polymeric film pouch.
The ice chamber is bounded by a polymeric film pouch which extends into the container through an opening in the bottom of the container and is sealed at the bottom by a removable cap. The polymeric film pouch is secured at the opening at the bottom of the container and is covered by a cap to keep the ice and melted ice from leaking out of the ice chamber. The polymeric film pouch retains the ice and allows the entrance of the pouch to be secured to the opening at the bottom of the container by the cap.
The polymeric film pouch is a very thin, flexible and stretchable material, and is made of a material which is desired for heat transfer. When the ice is residing in the ice chamber compartment, heat is transferred from the beverage chamber to the cold region in the ice chamber, and the resultant of the heat transfer is a chilled drink which is maintained at a cool temperature.
There are many situations where the present invention is utilized. Fast food restaurants and sporting events involve the consumption of chilled beverages. In fast food restaurants, soft drink makers demand that their beverages be dispensed from equipment designed to produce superior quality beverages, where the syrups are mixed with the carbonated water in a standard ratio in order to get a post-mix product as close to a bottle or a can in quality. However, soft drinks are served with ice to keep the drinks cold. The problem with this is that the ice must melt in order for the beverage to stay cold, in so doing, the syrup to water ratio changes which in effect destroys the beverage quality. Restaurants know this, and even mix drinks purchased at a drive-through window differently from those consumed on-premise in order to counteract the increase of melted ice. But the restaurant cannot control the temperature of the drink's surrounding, and the time it takes for a consumer to drink the beverage, regardless if the drink was purchased at the drive through window or on the premise and taken outside or home later and what about the amount of ice initially served with the beverage, the more ice served the more melted ice. With the present invention, not only will the beverage remain cold for the same period of time as a beverage with the same amount of ice, but the syrup to water ratio will stay constant, thereby, giving the consumer the ultimate quality drink. Its like drinking a cold soft drink from a chilled bottle or can, except now, the consumer gets this experience from start to finish.
In sporting events, besides serving soft drinks with ice, they also serve beer. One of the problems with consuming beer from a paper or plastic cup is that there is no means of keeping the beer cold. Ice is forbidden to be used in beer, and the paper or plastic cup cannot be chilled. According to Grossman's Guide to Beer, beer is the most delicate and perishable food product a restaurant handles and should be served between 40.degree.-45.degree. F., and the nearer the beer is to 45.degree. F., the better it will taste. After the beer is bought, the consumer carries the cup of beer all the way back to their seat, however in doing so, not only has the beer risen in temperature from the environment (much more in the hot sunlight) but also from the heat of their hand, and what about buying beer from a vendor in the seat. Who knows how long this person has been walking around. By the time the consumer drinks his beer, the beer will have lost its ideal temperature. According to a poll done by Sports Illustrated Magazine, about three quarters of the people polled, noted that the beer sold at American sporting events almost always seemed to taste so warm that it was barely drinkable. With the present invention, it will be like drinking beer from a conventional chilled glass, except the paper or plastic cup will remain cold for a more extended period of time than the chilled glass as the ice in the separated compartment will keep it cold.
The present invention can be designed in several embodiments which feature the unique ice chamber separated from the beverage chamber by a polymeric film pouch. One such embodiment could be a disposable or recyclable drinking cup made of paper, plastic or other molding materials and sold at fast food restaurants, sporting events, bars, night clubs, etc. with beer, wine, soft drinks, or other beverages which are consumed cold. Another embodiment could be an attractive reusable plastic drinking cup or glass, where the polymeric film pouch is disposable and/or recyclable used in the home, restaurant, bar, etc. which allows the ice to be retained in the separate compartment to keep beverages chilled without dilution.
At a fast food restaurant or a sporting event, the employee could prepare the present invention as follows. First, the employee prepares the drinking cup with the polymeric film pouch pushed through the opening at the bottom of the cup or could skip this step if the polymeric film pouch is preinstalled. Second, the employee could sweep crushed ice or any other type of ice into the ice chamber. Third, a cap is placed over the opening to the ice chamber. And fourth, the beverage is poured into the beverage container and kept cold by the ice in the ice chamber.
Using the present invention in the home or restaurant, the user could prepare the cup or glass with crushed ice or other types of ice, seal the opening at the bottom of the container, and then pour the desired beverage into the container where the beverage will stay chilled for extended periods of time. Various attractive designs for a cup or glass with the present invention's unique feature of a separate compartment for ice could be presented.
The following prior art references are found relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,369 issued to Weiss on Feb. 20, 1968 for "Food Container" (hereafter "the Weiss Patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,423 issued to Pring on Dec. 4, 1990 for "Container for Transport of Frozen Materials such as Biological Samples" (hereafter "the Pring Patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 76,378 issued to Bailey on Apr. 7, 1868 for "Improvement in the Construction of Ice-Pitchers" (hereafter "the Bailey Patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 93,001 issued to Pietsch on Jul. 27, 1869 for "Improved Pitcher For Cooling Liquids" (hereafter "the Pietsch Patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 249,642 issued to Lenz et al. on Nov. 15, 1881 for "Refrigerating-Barrel" (hereafter "the Lenz Patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 416,356 issued to Clark on Dec. 3, 1889 for "Water-Cooler" (hereafter "the Clark Patent").
7. U.S. Pat. No. 966,278 issued to Weeks on Aug. 2, 1910 for "Receptacle" (hereafter "the Weeks Patent").
8. U.S. Pat. No. 1,186,418 issued to Mischo on Jun. 6, 1916 for "Freezer Minnow-Bucket" (hereafter "the Mischo Patent").
9. U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,279 issued to Hiller on Oct. 15, 1946 for "Refrigeration Apparatus" (hereafter "the Hiller Patent").
10. U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,433 issued to Strathaus on Sep. 20, 1971 for "Salad Bowl" (hereafter "the Strathaus Patent").
11. U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,586 issued to Lyons on Feb. 1, 1977 for "Refrigerated Butter Dish" (hereafter "the Lyons Patent").
The Lenz Patent discloses a refrigerating barrel. The refrigerating barrel uses an inner chamber which can be filled with ice to keep the contents of the main chamber cold. The Lenz Patent apparatus is generally a large barrel structure, the purpose for which is stated as a means for "transporting oysters across the Atlantic in a fresh condition".
There are significant differences between the present invention, and the Lenz device. First, there is a different purpose. Specifically, whereas the present invention is used for beverages, the Lenz device is utilized for the purpose of carrying oysters. Second, due to the different purpose of the Lenz device, the scaling of the present invention is very different from that of the Lenz device. Third, the present invention involves a polymeric film pouch which separates the ice chamber from the beverage chamber. In contrast, the Lenz device has an inner chamber structure for retaining the ice. This is a very substantial difference which differentiates the present invention from the Lenz device.
Therefore, since the purpose, scale, and the structure of the present invention differ substantially from the Lenz Patent, the present invention is not disclosed in the Lenz Patent.
The Weiss Patent discloses a food container which has an inner chamber capable of mixing chemicals contributing to heat transfer between this inner compartment and the outer compartment where the temperature of consumable goods is altered.
The Pring Patent discloses a container for transport of frozen materials such as biological samples. The portable insulated container comprises a first compartment for receiving material to be transported and a second compartment for receiving and holding a quantity of portable refrigerant in proximity to the first compartment with closures at both compartments remotely spaced to minimize the possibility of cross contamination between compartments. Visible readouts for temperature measurement which would be superfluous to the present invention are specifically claimed in the Pring Patent.
The Bailey Patent discloses an improvement in the construction of ice pitchers. The pitcher is a cylinder within a cylinder configuration which has the benefit of securing the inner cylinder from ice dropped toward the bottom of the region between the two cylinders.
The Pietsch Patent discloses another version of an improved pitcher for cooling liquids of the cylinder within a cylinder type with tubes and arrangements for melted ice from the inner compartment.
The Clark Patent discloses a water cooler configuration where ice is kept in an inner compartment and has the benefit of keeping the ice longer by keeping the melted ice away from the ice. Shelf space within the ice compartment is also provided for general refrigeration purposes.
The Weeks Patent discloses a receptacle which is comprised of an inner and an outer vessel with a removable end for both the inner and outer vessel.
The Mischo Patent discloses a freezer minnow bucket which claims inner and outer containers where a screen at the bottom contributes to adequate drainage from melted ice.
The Hiller Patent discloses a refrigeration apparatus with a tubular core which is to contain refrigerant.
The Strathaus Patent discloses a salad bowl with a refrigerant containing compartment.
The Lyons Patent discloses a refrigerated butter dish where the butter container fits into a crushed ice cylinder.
None of the prior art patents are designed to accommodate a simple drinking cup or glass, or similar beverage container which is designed to consume beverages. Further, none of the prior art devices discloses a simple means for retaining ice which can be in any shape such as cubes, crushed, etc. in a manner which permits the ice to cool the liquid in the container while at the same time not diluting the liquid. In conventional situations, ice is placed directly into the container and the dilution with the beverage such as a soft drink will affect the syrup to water ratio, thereby, reducing the quality of the soft drink. In the case of beverages such as beer, ice is forbidden to use because the direct dilution from ice will appreciably alter its taste. Therefore, there is a significant need for the present invention which can maintain a beverage such as beer and also soft drinks, in a cool state while at the same time not diluting the beverage.